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Outcast/Chapter 14
Chapter description :Jaypaw feels dappled sunlight and shade on his pelt as he pads beneath the trees, with Lionpaw flanking his one side and Hollypaw bounding a few paw steps ahead, then returning to join her littermates. The air is full of birdsong and the rustling of leaves, and prey scents are sharp in the undergrowth. The three littermates bring up the rear of the group of traveling cats, with Brambleclaw in the lead. Just ahead of Jaypaw, Tawnypelt talks to Squirrelflight about her kits, mentioning that Dawnkit doesn’t listen to any cat. Squirrelflight assures her that all kits can be deaf when they choose, but that they will grown into fine warriors, and Jaypaw is bored at the conversation of kits. :The gray tom tries to catch snippets of more interesting talk, but can only hear Crowfeather telling Breezepaw about hunting in the mountains. The WindClan cats pad side by side, a short distance from the rest, and Jaypaw can feel the other apprentice’s resentment at having to come on the journey. The medicine cat apprentice thinks that he and his father probably don’t even like each other. :Lionpaw and Hollypaw have a bet on if he can catch a butterfly, and the ginger tom leaps, then crashes back to the forest floor. Hollypaw is amused and exclaims that he missed it, as she told him. Squirrelflight approaches the kits and scolds them for acting like kits. She chides that it is a serious journey and must save their strength, and Lionpaw mutters an apology. Knowing that Breezepaw is listening, Jaypaw is angered as he imagines the smug expression on the WindClan apprentice’s face. The mottled tabby thinks that if the black tom says anything, he will claw his ears off, but Breezepaw remains quiet. :Soon, Jaypaw begins to scent clean water, and he realizes that they have emerged beside the lake. He briefly wishes to search for his stick, but thinks that he couldn’t carry it all the way to the mountains, and decides to leave it behind. The apprentice thinks to Rock that he won’t leave the ancient cat behind, and knows that he will find him when he goes to the mountain. Hollypaw whispers that they are near the WindClan border, and will have to cross the stream, and for a few heartbeats Jaypaw freezes, remembering the flooding in the tunne;s. He thinks how he hates getting his paws wet, but Lionaw reassures him that the water is very shallow. Jaypaw bites back an indignant retort, though he is actually just angry with himself for his fear of drowning. :Splashing is heard as the other cats cross the stream, and Hollypaw guides her brother to the bank with her tail across his shoulders. He can feel his littermates on either side, and Lionpaw informs him on the deepness of the water. The stream grows shallower again, and Jaypaw scrambles up the bank on the other side, halting a tail-length away to shake himself and hide his tremors of relief. Breezepaw complains about how Jaypaw is making his fur wet, and the ThunderClan apprentice mutters a sarcastic apology back. :The cats continue along the lakeshare, across WindClan territory and past the horseplace. Jaypaw can just barely pick up the scent of the horseplace cats beneath the overwhelming smell of horse, but neither Smoky nor Floss come to greet them. A distant barking is heard, and Jaypaw decides that it must be the dog who lives near the horseplace. :Once past the horseplace, Brambleclaw leads the way uphill, and Jaypaw’s paws tingle as he realizes that the deputy is setting them down on unfamiliar ground. With the scents of home fading behind him and a breeze brining new scents to him, the gray tabby falters, before berating himself that he wanted the adventure. Jaypaw senses that his littermates’, flanking both of his sides, also are daunted by the unknown path ahead. :The ground underpaw gets more wet and uneven, and when Jaypaw hears a splash accompanied by a strong scent of frog. A moment later, he slips on a tussock of wet grass and water surges over his hindquarters. Jaypaw spits in anger and effortfully heaves himself out again. Lionpaw asks his sibling if he is okay, and through gritted teeth Jaypaw replies that he is find. Just beyond Lionpaw, Jaypaw overhears Talon murmur to Night that taking a blind to-be to the mountains is crazy, and Night agrees that he will never keep up. Jaypaw is about to say a sharp retort, but before he can, he feels his mother’s tail lay firmly over her mouth. Squirrelflight meows that Jaypaw is just as good at tackling new territory as any cat, and challenges that Talon has alos put a paw in the wrong place before. The big Tribe tabby doesn’t reply, and the ginger tabby removes her tail from Jaypaw’s mouth, telling him which way to come. Jaypaw follows his mother, thankful to feel more solid ground beneath his paws. He is surprised that Breezepaw hadn’t made a sneering comment about his misstep, but wonders if Breezepaw, as a Clan cat, might feel a kind of loyalty to support a Clan cat against the Tribe. Jaypaw thinks that the black tom still didn’t stand up for him, as that would be too much to expect. :Jaypaw knows they have reached the top of the ridge when wind buffets his face, and he can’t manage to sort out all the new scents at once. Hollypaw gasps in her amazement, and says that she can see the whole of the lake and all the territories. The black she-cat bounces up to Jaypaw and nudges him with her head, telling him about RiverClan’s camp, ShadowClan’s territory, and the Gathering island and tree-bridge. Lionpaw joins Jaypaw on his other side, showing which way the woods they live are in, and guesses that if they were in leaf-bare, they could see the hollow. Lionpaw goes on that e can see everything in WindClan’s open moor, and Breezepaw, who has padded up behind them, says that WindClan look at the sight all the time, as their territory has many great views, causing Jaypaw to be annoyed. :Meanwhile, Brmableclaw asks Squirrelflight, Crowfeather, and Tawnypelt if they remember their first time standing on the ridge, and Squirrelflight remembers how it was night, and all the cats of StarClan were reflected in the lake. Night is impressed with how brave they were to travel so far to find a new home without knowing where they were going. Squirrelflight murmurs that StarClan helped them, and Tawynpelt points out to Night that if the Tribe of Rushing Water ever had to leave the mountains, the Tribe of Endless Hunting would also assist them. Night sounds alarmed at the prospect of leaving, and she meows that the Tribe and the spirit of their ancestors could never leave the mountains where they belong. Jaypaw has doubts about this, and reflects that if the Clan cats were to fail to drive out the intruders, the Tribe and the spirits of its ancestors might have a journey of their own to face. Characters Major }} Minor *Hollypaw *Brambleclaw *Stormfur *Brook *Talon *Night *Squirrelflight *Tawnypelt *Crowfeather *Breezepaw }} Mentioned *Dawnkit *Rock *Smoky *Floss *Pip (Unnamed) }} Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Outcast Category:Power of Three arc